THETHE SIGNS SIGNS OF THE OF THE TIMES TIMES PART 1

Matthew 16:2-3 "When it is evening you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red'; and in the morning, 'It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.' Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times." -- Jesus -- Jesus

One of the most profound visions of what is to come in the future was given 2,000 years ago on a hillside outside of Jerusalem. A small band of truth-seekers gathered around their Teacher, Jesus of Nazareth. The question they asked Him prompted a response that spans the centuries and zeroes in on the days in which you and I are now living: Jesus answered them with dozens of specific indicators to be on the lookout for. NOTE: The term "the end of the world" as used here does not refer to the end of the planet, but the end of the current inhumane reign of man on earth. Although many of the signs He gave are things that have plagued the world for ages, it’s remarkable how the severity and frequency of these have now increased.

And as he sat upon the Mount of Olives, His disciples came unto Him privately saying: “Tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of thy coming and of the end of the World?” And as he sat upon the Mount of Olives, His disciples came unto Him privately saying: “Tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of thy coming and of the end of the World?” Matthew 24:3

Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, ‘I am Christ’, and shall deceive many. Jesus answered and said unto them: Jesus answered and said unto them: Matthew 24:4-7

And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: The sheer annihilative potential of today’s weapons and the possible massive scale of conflict has made for a unique and dangerous time which is unprecedented in history. THE WORLD HAS never been completely free from the scourge of war, but no period in all of history has witnessed the escalation of wars as has the 20th century. The International Red Cross estimates that over 100 million people were killed in wars in that century. We started the 21st Century with the “War on Terror” followed by the Iraq War and many other smaller conflicts being fought simultaneously around the world. For more on the subject, click here.

For nation shall rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom… For nation shall rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom… The end of the Cold War generated a strong sense of optimism about the international refugee situation. With the rivalry of the superpowers over, it was thought, many conflicts would be resolved. Almost precisely the opposite has happened. The Greek word for "nation" originally used in this prophecy is “ethnos”, which is more accurately translated "a race" or "a tribe." In other words, Jesus was saying that ethnic groups would rise against each other. This has been tragically fulfilled in recent times with “Ethnic cleansing” being perpetuated without mercy in many places around the world.

And there shall be famines… And there shall be famines… ARE WE LIVING in a time of increased famine? The World Bank reported that more than 800 million people go hungry every day, and more than 500 million children do not get enough food to fully develop mentally and physically. "Some 40,000 hunger-related deaths occur every day, mostly in rural regions," according to World Bank vice president Ismail Serageldin. The World Health Organization estimates that one-third of the world is well-fed, one-third is under-fed & one-third is STARVING! For more on the subject, click here. Famines, click here.

And Pestilences (plagues)… And Pestilences (plagues)… The World Health Organization (WHO) says, “Around the world more than 6,000 people every day are infected with HIV and the epidemic is getting worse.” Doctors now warn that the current resurgence of drug-resistant bacteria strains could prove to be more deadly than AIDS. Diseases considered conquered — tuberculosis, pneumonia, meningitis, staph infections — are becoming unstoppable. Common bacteria that cause everything from toddlers’ ear infections to pneumonia could become "supergerms" resistant to vancomycin and other drugs. Weaponized biological agents have the potential of killing hundreds of thousands & even millions if not effectively contained. AIDS and Ebola may be just cautionary warnings of many other killer viruses that could suddenly flash through the human population. The Anthrax Anxiety, click here. The threat of bioterrorism Anthrax bacillus For more on the subject, click here. Small pox

And earthquakes in various places And earthquakes in various places The dramatic increase of severe quakes has led many scientists to predict that we are entering a new period of great seismic disturbances. The Bible also clearly predicts that the Last Days will be a time of great seismic activity, with “the earth reeling to and fro like a drunken man & the towers & the cities of the nations falling!” The earthquake in Northern Pakistan was the most severe in that area in the last 120 years, killing over 70,000 people and injuring over 69,000. Next to the Asian Tsunami, this has been the worst humanitarian nightmare ever! Pakistan, Oct. 8, 2005 Isaiah 24:18-20; 30:25 For more on the subject, click here.

“And there shall be signs: “And there shall be signs: In the Sun... In the Sun... And in the Moon... And in the Moon... And in the Stars… And in the Stars… …and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring.” …and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring.” Luke 21:25

Asian Tsunami 2004 The worst and most devastating catastrophe in living memory. Over 300,000 dead. Hurricane Katrina: the worst & costliest natural disaster in the USA so far. Hurricane Rita: Overkill for Louisiana. Hurricane Wilma: the most intense ever for the Atlantic basin. Hurricane Season 2005: Hurricane Season 2005: The most intense in US history. A hurricane season for the record books Never were there as many hurricanes in one season, eight of them hit Florida within a fifteen month period! Also, this season marked the first time the backup list, the Greek alphabet, has been tapped. This season’s storms caused an estimated $150 billion in damage in the U.S

“See that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass but the end is not yet… All these are the beginning of sorrows” “See that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass but the end is not yet… All these are the beginning of sorrows” Matthew 24:6,8 Like Jesus stated in the verse above, the previous signs are just the beginning of sorrows and things will get much worse before they’ll get better. TO BE CONTINUED IN PART 2 TO BE CONTINUED IN PART 2 If you have faith in God and His Word, and you are living close to Him, then even if there’s war and turmoil, confusion and chaos on the outside, you can have peace on the inside — in your own heart — through the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ. If you have faith in God and His Word, and you are living close to Him, then even if there’s war and turmoil, confusion and chaos on the outside, you can have peace on the inside — in your own heart — through the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ.